Grégoire Coffinières de Nordeck

Grégoire Gaspard Félix Coffinières, later Coffinières de Nordeck (2 September 1811, in Castelnaudary – 7 January 1887) was a French general. He was commander of the École Polytechnique during the Second French Empire. During the Franco-Prussian War in 1870, he commanded the fortifications of Metz, which he surrendered without defending them.

Biography

Grégoire Coffinières was the son of Alexandre Coffinières, a lawyer in Castelnaudary in the Aude department, and of Paule Adélaïde Marquier.

In 1829 he passed the entry exam of the École polytechnique, where as a student he took part in the Three Glorious Days of the revolution of July 1830. Graduating in 1831, 49th in a class of 113, he chose to become a combat engineer.

In 1855, he participated in the Crimean War, where he took part in the siege of Sevastopol and was promoted to Brigadier General. When Bazaine was later tried for treason, the name of Coffinières was often cited at his trial.

Coffinières was captured and interned at Hamburg. Freed after the war, he left active duty in 1876 and retired in 1881. He died in 1887.

By decree on 22 September 1835, he became a Knight of France's Legion of Honour, later being promoted to Officer (decree: 2 December 1850), and then finally to the rank of Commander (decree: 15 July 1859).